Connector



CONNECTOR Filed Dec. 14, 1964 R. A. HOLLINGSEAD www@ N @Ew w N N) E Nm mmh .NJW NQ NN SSW June 13,

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ww l/ United States Patent 3,325,773 CONNECTOR Robert A. Holiingsead, La Habra, Calif., assigner of one-half to Clyde R. Pryor, Anaheim, Calif. riad nee. i4, 1964, ser. No. 418,127 7 Claims. (Cl. 339-217) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electrical connector having a socket with a reduced diameter portion intermediate its ends and an annular groove therein. There is an expandable hollow spring clip formed with a ange thereon which is seatable in the socket so that the flange is arrangeable in the groove. Latch means is provided on the clip for coacting with means on a contact pin insertable therethrough and within the socket for locking the pin therewithin.

This invention relates generally to connectors and relates more particularly to improvement in electrical connectors.

While the invention has particular utility embodied in electrical connectors, and is shown and described thus embodied, it is to be understood that its utility is not confined thereto.

In certain types of electrical connectors there are certain problems and difficulties involved and this is particularly true in such connectors wherein there is a pin which must be locked in the socket or hole therefor but which is releasable when it is desired or required to remove same.

It is therefore an object lof the invention to provide a connector of this character that will solve these problems and overcome the diiiiculties involved therein.

It is another `object of the invention to provide a connector of this character that is extremely reliable.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a device of this character wherein it is impossible for the spring or clip to be located and functioning any place but Where it belongs in the assembly.

It is a further object -of the invention to provide a device of this character wherein the spring or clip cannot be lost in the upper part of the cavity or socket of the holding unit.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a device of this character wherein the possibility of human error in the assembly thereof is substantially or entirely eliminated by eliminating the possibility of putting two springs or clips into the same cavity or hole as may happen with previous devices of the present type of which I am aware.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein the spring or clip may be easily and quickly installed and self-aligned within the socket of an electrical connector.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein the bearing surface or holding area is approximately 340 or almost the full circumference.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device of this character which will still function after approximately 180 of its holding surface has been destroyed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein the spring `or clip has improved rigidity.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein all parts of the unit are replaceable and reusable.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a 31,325,773 y Patented June 13, 1967 ice of this character that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention are further sumciently referred to in connection with the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings, which represent one embodiment. After considering this example skilled persons will understand that variations may be made without departing from the principles disclosed and I contemplate the employment of any structures, arrangements or modes of operation that are properly within the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a spring or clip insertion tool inserting said spring or clip into a socket or hole therefor in the body of the connector;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing the spring or clip installed in .a socket of the device;

FIG. 3 is a similar View but showing a pin or polarizing contact in operative position in the device;

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged view in section showing the locking action of the spring or clip on the pin;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the spring or clip .per se;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the forward end of the pin removing tool; and

FIG. 7 is a similar view of the spring removal tool.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a spring insertion tool, indicated generally at 1i), and a connector, indicated generally at 12, the forward end of the tool being disposed in the socket or hole, indicated generally at 14, of the connector and placing the spring or clip, indicated generally at 16, in said socket.

The spring clip 16 is formed of any suitable resilient material. It is generally cylindrical and includes a cylindrical body 1S with an outwardly extending flange 2t) at one end or any other suitable location, there being a slot 22 extending from one end of the spring clip to the other. This slot is shown as being diagonal although it maybe of other characteristics. Thus the spring clip is split and is expandable and contractable. There are a plurality of pin locking tongues 24 cut from the wall of the body, said tongues being integral with the wall `of the body at the ends adjacent the flanged end `of the spring clip. These tongues are bent inwardly so that the free ends 26 thereof extend into the cylindrical interior of the body 18 for a purpose hereinafter described.

'I'he connector 12 comprises a body 30 of electrical insulating material in which there is the socket or hole 14. While one socket 14 is shown, it is to be understood that a plurality of sockets may be provided in the body.

Socket 14 comprises end portions which for convenience and clarity will be termed herein the front and the rear end portions 32 and 34 respectively, there being a reduced diameter portion intermediate the ends of said cavity and comprising the parts 36 and 37, the part 37 being of smaller diameter than the part 36. At the forward end of the intermediate part 37 there is a shoulder 38 normal to the axis of said cavity, said shoulder being at the junction of said intermediate part 37 and the forward end portion 32. At the rear end of the intermediate part 36, between said part 35 and the forward end of the rear end portion 34 there is an inclined part 40 which flares rearwardly and outwardly from the rear end of the intermediate part 36 to merge with the forward end of the rear portion 34. Within the reduced diameter intermediate portion of the socket and between the inter- 3 mediate parts 36 and 3-7 there is an annular groove 42 opening into said reduced diameter portion.

The flange of the spring clip 16 is disposed within the-groove 42`of the intermediate cavity part 36 with the body of said spring clip extending rearwardly in said intermediate part and into the forward end of the rear cavity portion 34.

Pin 'or polarizing pin 46 is cylindrical and is adapted i, to have an electric wire conected thereto in the usual well known manner. Intermediate the ends of said pin there is an external, annular flange 48. For purposes of clarity the part yof the pin extending outwardly at one side of ange 48 will be termed the outer or front end 50 and the part at the opposite side of said ange will be termed the rear or inner end 52. Spaced rearwardly of the ange 48 the pin has a groove 54 which is frusto-conical in shape with the smaller end at the rear and terminating in a shoulder 56 normal to the axis of said pin.

When the pin 46 is operably disposed in the socket 14 the flange 48 abuts against the shoulder 38 of said socket with the forward end of said pin extending outwardly at the front side of the connector body 30. The rear end 52 of the pin extends into and through the spring clip 16 and into the forward end part of the rear portion 34 of the socket.

The groove 54 of the pin 46 is then disposed within the body of the spring clip and the shoulder 56 lof said groove is so positioned that the free ends 26 of the tongues 24 engage said shoulder 56 and lock the pin in the socket. It will be apparent that the pin 46 may be inserted into the socket and locked therein merely by pushing same into said socket.

The spring clip 16 is inserted into position in the socket by means of the spring or clip insertion tool 10. This tool comprises a body having a rear part 60 with 4an annular fiange 62 at the forward end and a forward end part 64.

The rear part 60 has a bore 66 extending longitudinally forwardly and terminating in a forward wall 68. A reduced diameter bore 70 extends forwardly and terminates at its forward end in a bore 72 in the forward end part 64.

In the forward end of the bore 72 there is disposed a tubular body 76 of a fixture, indicated generally at 78. At its forward end the fixture body has an outwardly extending annular flange 80 received in a groove 82 provided therefor in the outer end of the bore 72. Fixture 78 has a tubular spring clip holding end 84 having an external diameter such as to be slidably received in the portion 34 of the cavity 14 of the connector. The bore through the spring clip holding end 84 of the fixture is indicated at 88 and terminates at the outer or forward end in a ared portion 90 of approximately 45.

A plunger 92 is disposed within the bore 66 of the body, said plunger having a head 94 at its outer end which is spaced from the adjacent end of the body part 60. Plunger -92 is provided with a plunger rod 96 which extends forwardly through the reduced diameter bore 70, bore 72, the bore in the body 76 of the fixture, and into the bore 88 Iof the spring clip holding end 84 of the' fixture. There is a spring 98 in the bore 66 which urges the plunger outwardly. Outward movement of the plunger is limited Iby a collar 100 secured to the rod 96 in the space or bore 72 between the inner end of the bore 72 and the inner end of the body 76 of the fixture which is secured in the bore 72 by set screws 102 or other suitable means.

When the plunger is at its outer limit of movement the collar 100 engages the wall at the inner end of the bore 72 at which position the forward end of the plunger is spaced inwardly in the bore 88 of the fixture forward end 84 approximately the length of the spring clip 16.

Installation of the spring clip in cavity 14 is effected by inserting the spring clip body into the bore 88, said spring clip being then compressed as best shown in FIG. 1. The spring clip holding end 84 is then inserted into the rear end portionr34 of the cavity to a position whereat the `flange 20 abuts against the shoulder 39 at the forward end of the reduced diameter part I37. 'Ihe plunger holds the spring in this position and the body of the tool is pulled outwardly thereby releasing the spring clip so that flange 20 enters the groove 42.

When the flange 20 of the spring clip is in the groove 42 the spring clip is securely anchored in the cavity.

With the spring clip thus installed the pin 46 may be inserted into the forward end portion 32 of the cavity to a position whereat the collar 48 engages the shoulder 38 at the inner end of cavity portion 32. As the pin is ybeing inserted into the cavity the inner end portion 52 thereof enters the spring clip and forces the tongues outwardly. Whenthe collar 48 reaches the position whereat it engages shoulder 38 the free ends 26 of the tongues enter the groove 54 of the pin and engage the shoulder 56 thereof to thereby securely lock the pin in operative position.

The pin removing tool is of the same construction as the spring insertion tool except that instead of the flared end portion ofthe bore y88 of the fixture, there is an external reduced diameter free tip 106, FIG. 6, which has its forward end forwardly and inwardly inclined at 107. To remove the pin 46 the forward part of the fixture is inserted into the rear portion 34 of the socket. The external diameter 'of the reduced diameter tip 106 of the fixture enters the spring clip, expands same, and forces the tongues outwardly sufficiently to release the free ends 26 of said tongues 24 from engagement with the shoulder 56 of the pin. Actuation of the plunger forwardly then forces the pin -forwardly so that the pin may then be fully removed from the socket.

The spring removing tool is the same as the spring installing tool except that the flared part 90 of the bore A88 at the free end of the part 84 of the tool and indicated at 90a has approximately a 30 angle. To remove lthe spring the end portion 84 of the tool is inserted'into the rear portion 34 of the socket and forced onto the spring thereby contacting said spring clip sufficiently so that the ange 20 of said spring clip clears the groove 42. Then by removing the tool end 84 the spring clip is withdrawn from the socket. Actuation of the plunger after the tool has been removed from the socket forces said spring clip outlof the bore 88 of the forward end portion `84 of the too The invention and its attendent advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof or sacrificing its material advantages, the arrangement hereinbefore described being merely -by Way of example, and I do no wish to be restricted to the specific form shown or uses mentioned except as defined in the accompanying claims, wherein various portions have been separated for clarity of reading and not for emphasis.

I claim:

1. A connector, comprising:

(A) a body of insulating material, said lbody having a cylindrical cavity therethrough open at both ends, said cavity having a cylindrical portion at one end, from the inner end of said cylindrical portion there is an inwardly tapered portion from the Smaller end of which there extends toward the opposite end of Said cavity a reduced diameter portion communicating with a second cylindrical end portion of substantially the same diameter as the first mentioned cylindrical end portion, there being a shoulder normal to the axis of the cavity at the junction ofthe second end portion and the adjacent end of the reduced diameter portion, there being an annular groove extending radially outwardly from the reduced diameter portion and intermediate the ends of said portion;

(B) and a hollow cylindrical spring clip open at both ends and having a diagonal slot extending from one end to the other, said spring clip (a) having an outwardly extending ange at one end disposed in the groove of the reduced diameter portion of said cavity, said spring clip extending into the inner end of the rst mentioned cylindrical end portion,

(b) and tongues cut from the wall of said spring clip, the free ends of said tongues facing the unilanged end of said spring clip.

2. The invention dened by claim 1, including a polarizing contact pin having a diameter for operable reception within the spring clip, a radial ange on said pin intermediate the ends thereof slidably disposed in the second cylindrical end portion of the socket and engaging the shoulder at the junction of the second cylindrical end portion of the socket and the reduced diameter portion thereof, said pin having a groove therein spaced from said ange and tapering inwardly away from the iiange and terminating in a shoulder substantially normal to the axis thereof and engaged tby the free ends of the tongues of the spring clip.

3. In a connector:

(A) a body of insulating material, said body having a cavity therethrough open at both ends, said cavity having a reduced diameter portion intermediate its ends, there being a tapered portion connecting one end of the reduced diameter portion and the adjacent end of the normal portion of the cavity and a shoulder at the junction of the end portion and the adjacent end of the reduced diameter portion, there being an annular ygroove extending radially outwardly from the reduced diameter portion and intermediate the ends of said portion;

(B) and a hollow cylindrical spring clip open at both ends and having a `diagonal slot extending from one end to the other, said spring clip having (a) an outwardly extending ange at one end disposed in the groove of the reduced diameter portion of said cavity, said spring clip extending from said -groove toward and into the inner end of the end portion of the cavity having the tapered connection with the reduced diameter portion thereof, into the inner end of the rst mentioned cylindrical end portion, and

(b) tongues cut from the wall of said spring clip,

the free ends of said tongues facing the unilanged end of said spring clip.

4. The invention defined by claim 3, including a polarizing contact pin having Ia diameter operably received within the spring clip, a ange on said pin intermediate the ends thereof and engaging the shoulder in said socket, said pin having a groove therein spaced from said ange and tapering inwardly away from the flange and terminating in a shoulder substantially normal to the axis thereof and engaged by the free ends of the tongues of the spring clip.

5. In a connector:

(A) a body of insulating material, said body having a cavity therethrough, said cavity having a reduced di-v ameter portion intermediate the ends thereof, there being a shoulder normal to the axis of the cavity at one end of said reduced diameter portion, there also ybeing a radially outwardly annular groove intermediate the ends of the reduced diameter portion;

(B) and a hollow split spring clip open lat both ends with (a) an outwardly extending ange of said spring clip disposed in the groove of the reduced diameter portion of said cavity, said spring clip being normally of smaller outside diameter than the diameter of said reduced diameter part of said cavity.

6. In a connector:

(A) a body of insulating material, said body having a cavity therethrough, said cavity having a reduced diameter portion intermediate the ends thereof, there being a shoulder intermediate the ends of said reduced portion, there also being an annular recess at one side of said shoulder,

(B) and Aan expandable resilient spring clip, said clip including (a) an outwardly extending flange disposed in said recess,

(b) and at least one tongue extending inwardly into the interior of said spring clip.

7. In a connector:

(A) a body, said lbody having a cavity therein, said cavity having a reduced diameter portion intermedi- Iate the ends thereof, there being a shoulder intermediate the ends of the reduced diameter portion of the cavity, there also being an annular groove at one side of said shoulder;

(B) a wall defining an expandable and contractable hollow spring clip having :a ange thereon disposed in the groove of the reduced diameter portion of the cavity;

(C) and at least one resilient to the wall of said clip.

latch means connected References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,327,605 `8/ 1943 Ryder 85-5 2,419,018 4/1947 Gudie 339-217 X 2,444,739 7/ 1948 Irrgang 339-258 3,172,721 3/1965 Kelly 339-217 3,227,993 1/1966 Bentley 339-217 X 3,237,149 2/1966 West 339-256 3,246,281 4/ 1966 Cunningham 339-217 X 3,281,558 10/1966 Weber 339-154 X FOREIGN PATENTS 93 6,926 9/ 1963 Great Britain.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner. PATRICK A. CLIFFORD, Examiner. 

1. A CONNECTOR, COMPRISING: (A) A BODY OF INSULATING MATERIAL, SAID BODY HAVING A CYLINDRICAL CAVITY THERETHROUGH OPEN AT BOTH ENDS, SAID CAVITY HAVING A CYLINDRICAL PORTION AT ONE END, FROM THE INNER END OF SAID CYLINDRICAL PORTION THERE IS AN INWARDLY TAPERED PORTION FROM THE SMALLER END OF WHICH THERE EXTENDS TOWARD THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID CAVITY A REDUCED DIAMETER PORTION COMMUNICATING WITH A SECOND CYLINDRICAL END PORTION OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME DIAMETER AS THE FIRST MENTIONED CYLINDRICAL END PORTION, THERE BEING A SHOULDER NORMAL TO THE AXIS OF THE CAVITY AT THE JUNCTION OF THE SECOND END PORTION AND THE ADJACENT END OF THE REDUCED DIAMETER PORTION, THERE BEING AN ANNULAR GROOVE EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE REDUCED DIAMETER PORTION AND INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF SAID PORTION; (B) AND A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL SPRING CLIP OPEN AT BOTH ENDS AND HAVING A DIAGONAL SLOT EXTENDING FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER, SAID SPRING CLIP (A) HAVING AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE AT ONE END DISPOSED IN THE GROOVE OF THE REDUCED DIAMETER PORTION OF SAID CAVITY, SAID SPRING CLIP EXTENDING INTO THE INNER END OF THE FIRST MENTIONED CYLINDRICAL END PORTION, (B) AND TONGUES CUT FROM THE WALL OF SAID SPRING CLIP, THE FREE ENDS OF SAID TONGUES FACING THE UNFLANGED END OF SAID SPRING CLIP. 